Flat panel monitors and televisions have become highly popular and widely used throughout commercial, business, and residential environments around the globe. These flat panel displays allow an enhanced viewing experience with layout versatility, space savings, and the ability to replace bulky computer monitors and television sets with displays that are merely a fraction of the depth and weight of similar prior displays of identical screen size.
The dimensional characteristics of the displays allow them to be conveniently hung on a wall or connected to a mounting surface such as a column, post, or flat surface of a piece of furniture. The ability to mount these devices near a wall provides an attractive display arrangement. When such mounting is utilized, it is highly desirable to be capable of readily adjusting the position or orientation of a flat panel display. Versatility of movement of the mount is often important to achieving a device that is positioned exactly in the most functional or aesthetically pleasing location desired by the user. Such versatility is particularly desirable as the unique characteristics of a wall or mounting surface may dictate the location where the mount may be attached.
Many past mounts have provided designs that, while adjustable, do not provide the option of a mounting arrangement that places the flat panel display in extremely close relation with a wall. This is often the case when clearance space is needed for tilting movement of adjustable mounting structures and for accommodating the adjustment mechanisms necessary for such movement. The ability to have a flat panel arrangement mounted very closely to a wall is desirable for aesthetic reasons in addition to space savings provided. It is also desirable, however, to have a mount equipped with adjustability features that can be easily implemented. Moreover, a simple design which can be easily manufactured is also sought.
Therefore, there is a need for a display mount providing close wall-mounting, enhanced versatility of positioning and adjustment, and which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.